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<br />WATER EFFICIENCY PIAN <br />DEPARTMENT OF INSTITUTIONS <br />(continued) <br /> <br />BACKGROUND (cont'd) <br /> <br />are competitive with energy conservation. The current emphasis on water <br />conservation will enhance the opportunity for water management projects. <br /> <br />Controlled Maintenance budget requests have been submitted, but not funded, to <br />upgrade and automate irrigation systems at several DOl agencies. The sizable <br />capital outlay required for these projects precludes implementation from <br />appropriated operating funds. DOl minimizes water consumption by properly <br />maintaining existing equipment and promptly correcting leaks and other <br />deficiencies. Lawn moisture sensors have been installed at some installations and <br />are being evaluated for use at other DOl Agencies. <br /> <br />The unique client care responsibility of DOl's mission necessitates consideration of <br />specialized fixtures to protect the welfare of these clients. For example, most of our <br />facilities require scald-proof temperature compensation to prevent accidental injury. <br />The shower heads in DYS and the Division of Mental Health (DMH) facilities must <br />be of special design to minimize the incidence of suicide in addition to satisfying <br />vandal proof criteria. The institutional client care responsibility carried out in <br />DOl's facilities precludes wholesale conversion with commercially available fixtures; <br />a careful evaluation must be conducted before implementing conversions. Only <br />recently, have many of these specialized fixtures become available in water <br />conserving models. No new buildings or major renovation projects have been <br />funded since implementation of the Water Conservation Act; therefore DOl has no <br />direct experience in dealing with water conserving fixtures for our specialized client <br />needs. It Win-be necessary to first implement a limited scope pilot program to field <br />test available fixtures in urder to establish a list of acceptable equipment to-be <br />incorporated in the department-wide program. <br /> <br />As a result of the Governor's March 3,1992 Executive Order and HB 91-1154, DOl <br />is increasingly aware of the water usage at its facilities. The relatively stable client <br />population, except for DYS, has established a consistent baseline record of water <br />consumption over the past few years. This baseline data provides the necessary <br />structure to measure the savings of DOl's future water conservation programs. <br /> <br />4 <br />